


sweet as pie

by d3vilsivy



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, F/F, Friends With Benefits, Love Confessions, Multi, Other, POV Multiple, Pining, Polyamory, also just so its established we do respect asexuals in this fic, but like just a little, im not sure where this is going but it had to be done, now there is smut, short as fuck chapters cus my adhd likes creating in bite-sized chunks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:54:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21946900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d3vilsivy/pseuds/d3vilsivy
Summary: the cold-blooded captain quin lurke falls hard for her tender-hearted engineer, and ellie gets the distinct pleasure of keeping her occupied until such time as parvati and quin can get their shit together (maybe longer--she hasn't decided yet).
Relationships: Parvati Holcomb/Junlei Tennyson, The Captain/Ellie Fenhill, The Captain/Parvati Holcomb
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

i.

parvati didn't quite understand her captain. her manner was slick as oil, too quick to grasp as her words slipped through your fingers. she always had the right thing to say, always picked up on what people were feeling or trying to hide. always noticed when parvati had a story to tell. always listened to her like it was worth her time.

no one had treated her like that, other than her father and thomas. like her rabbit-trail thoughts were anything other than scattered nonsense. everyone in town knew she was trouble. but then, quin seemed to like trouble, said it always came with an opportunity. parvati figured quin just wanted her along to keep the unreliable in good repair, but that didn't account for how she seemed to hang on parvati's every word. 

quin was a manipulator, as parvati soon realized. she said whatever she had to for people to trust her, just so she could use them for her own benefit. it wasn't malicious, and generally not vindictive (though she wasn't above that), but it wasn't particularly benevolent either. it was just how she interacted with the world. the upside was that she was able to talk her way out of violence any time the opportunity arose, which parvati appreciated; but the coolness with which she faced a sure firefight was a little unnerving.

when she finally approached the terminal in the plant to reroute the power, parvati was worried. she liked quin all right, but didn't quite trust her priorities would line up with what would be best for the closest thing to a home the engineer had. she had to say something. so she did.

quin listened intently. thanked her for speaking up, even. 

parvati was glad when she turned back to the terminal, so she wouldn't see the nervous flush spreading over her cheeks.

in the end, she saved both edgewater and the deserters. it was a better outcome than parvati had imagined possible, though she still felt some concern for adelaide's bitterness. but everyone lived, and more might live yet if their new leader's dietary adjustments managed to banish the plagues. quin brushed her admiration away airily, but parvati could have sworn she saw a hint of a genuine smile grace her lips as she turned toward the town gates. 

quin was her captain now, a leader and friend she had chosen for herself. the door to a new life, bursting with possibility. a pretty, if eerie, pair of synthetic yellow eyes.

parvati wasn't sure if she trusted her, but she was pretty sure she was safe with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> parvati is just so good i had to make a captain who's obsessed with her and then write the experience from parvati's pov so that i could figure out how she would feel abt it
> 
> that said, im soft and poly and hate breaking hearts so its probably gonna be a happy ending. probably. but also quin is my bad babe who goes corporate so who knows??


	2. Chapter 2

ii.

parvati only wanted to learn more about working on a ship. she could figure out a lot on her own, but she thought an expert might show her a different perspective faster than she could gain it herself. also, she just really wanted to talk shop with someone. quin and the vicar were clever enough, but max was too lofty and intimidating to talk to; and parvati had seen enough eyes glaze over to tell when quin had checked out, however attentive she tried to be. 

she wasn't expecting junlei to be so… perfect. stocky and strong, with graceful features and a sure and steady demeanor. she wasn't expecting flattery right off the bat either, and it set her heart aflutter.

quin was oddly silent through the whole exchange.

a few days later, after tracking down a rather huffy freelancer for some medical automechs, parvati's messages with the chief took a turn for the puzzling. parvati, so excited before, tied herself in knots with worry. and what else did people do when their love lives were too confusing to handle? in parvati's experience, they drank. 

so she asked quin to take her to the lost hope. she figured the captain must have more experience with this sort of thing, and she trusted quin to look out for her if she got too tipsy. 

which she absolutely did.

so when, after listening to her anxiously ramble about junlei for law knows how long, quin asked whether parvati might be interested in her too, she took a moment too long to respond. 

she was joking, right? she had to be picking on her. maybe it was just the drink. quin had downed two in the time it took for parvati to reach the bottom of her glass of wine, but she didn't seem quite as intoxicated, yellow eyes trained on parvati, an odd quirk to her lips.

what if she wasn't joking?

no. no, she was too overwhelmed with junlei already, and she told the captain as much, trying not to sound as flustered as she was and failing utterly. damn wine. she wanted more, but when quin returned, her glass was full of water. parvati whined but took it all the same. it felt nice to be taken care of.

she resolved to ask junlei out in the end. quin acted pleased, but if parvati had gained anything from watching people more than she spoke to them, it was the uncanny ability to read emotions. there was something else brewing under that placid expression, but what it could be, parvati was a little too drunk to tell.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> somebody tell quin that ellie is a medical doctor and not a therapist

iii.

it was late when parvati and the captain got back. ellie had considered joining them just to see the mousy little mechanic cut loose, but the vibes between those two made her feel she was better off keeping her distance.

at least, that's what she would have preferred to do. but after seeing parvati to her room, quin lured ellie in with a fresh bottle of spectrum vodka and a box of cigars to be her listening ear. ellie had to hand it to her, the captain sure knew how to bribe a gal.

they had a lot in common. like ellie, quin was largely motivated by self preservation and cheap thrills. she deftly evaded talking about herself, kept her mask securely in place. except, ellie had noticed, when faced with parvati's saccharine charm.

so, this conversation was looking a little uncomfortable. but she hadn't seen the captain drunk yet either. it would probably be at least entertaining.

they settled in quin's room, a perfect view of the groundbreaker sparkling through the huge window. ellie heard quin take a swig from the vodka while she wasn't looking.

"let me guess," ellie said, turning to face her. "you had a rough time listening to your crush moan about her crush on another woman, and now you've picked ME for your shoulder to cry on? thought you had better judgement than that, cap."

"stars, am i that easy to read?" quin mumbled.

"nah, you're just whipped."

"this is why i wanted to talk to you, ellie. you don't pull any punches."

"that's what they pay me for, captain."

"unless you owe them a favor."

"at this rate, we might be even on that before the night's out. then you'll actually have to pay me."

"well, who else would i talk to? max is an ass, and felix… well."

"ada's pretty smart, for a ship."

"damn. shoulda thought of that."

"she's an awful gossip though, so maybe not."

"i resent that statement, doctor fenhill," came ada's modulated voice from law knew where. "i am capable of discretion when asked."

"ada, does parvati love me?" quin asked, her expression cartoonish. ellie snorted.

"captain, i cannot assess-"

"nevermind. uh, don't tell parvati about this. or anyone else, for that matter."

"certainly, captain."

ellie took a seat and kicked her feet up on the desk. 

"you really got it bad, don't you."

"i asked her, tonight. if she was interested in me."

"i take it the answer didn't fill you with butterflies."

"she brushed me off."

"so now you're getting drunker. nice."

"i hate this," she moaned, dropping her head into her hands. "i've never wanted anyone this way, and she's already too wrapped up in someone else to even consider it."

"this mess is why i don't feel like i'm missing out on anything."

"well shit, ellie, here i had you pegged for a hopeless romantic."

"i thought maybe that was why you'd called me in to mope about your love life."

"well, it wasn't the only reason."

ellie knew that look.

"really, cap? a rebound fuck this soon?"

"ouch."

"ouch yourself. haven't i made it clear i don't want to get tangled up in your personal life?"

"no?"

"well," ellie started, then paused, eyes narrowing. "you're not falling for me, are you?"

"ellie, you're beautiful, but we're far too much alike."

ellie laughed at that.

"not too much to fuck, though?"

"only in personality, and that makes the sex good."

"right." ellie looked her up and down. quin rode a fine line between willowy and gangly, but the gold paint highlighting the distinctive structure of her face was mesmerizing in the warm, dim light. ellie licked her lips. "i might need you to convince me on that one."

"i think i can do that."

quin rose from her seat on the bed, and ellie thought no one had any right moving that gracefully when drunk. she crossed the distance between them in two strides and loomed over ellie unsteadily. this close, she could see the circles beneath the captain's eyes, but she was more drawn in by the curve of her lips and the heat radiating from her flushed skin. just as quin reached out to cup her cheek, ellie grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. their lips met with a clash, and ellie laughed into the kiss.

it wasn't her wisest tryst, but she'd never had any fun doing what she ought to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> throwing in some ellie to mix it up. im writing her as aro-spec, but to be clear, i myself am aromantic, and no, we're not all saddled with emotional commitment issues like ellie. also, not all down for casual sex.
> 
> might write that smut later though.


	4. Chapter 4

iv.

parvati had made some incorrect assumptions about her captain at the start.

she knew quin manipulated people, but thought she was able to do so because she didn't care what people thought of her (after all, parvati couldn't do it because she was afraid of getting caught and further ostracized, having grown up with people who already expected the worst of her).

the truth, as usual, was more complicated than that.

the captain had grown closer with ellie, and often took her and parvati along to help on jobs. ellie didn't like her much, and although parvati was used to being looked down on, she still wanted to get along with her crew, for things to be different than they were before. so she made efforts to smooth things over, but it always felt like she was bouncing off an invisible barrier.

then, out of nowhere, she'd practically be blinded by ellie's easy candor with quin.

it was frustrating, to say the least.

ellie tagged along when they went to get the dustback casserole for parvati's date. when the chef set his price, quin glanced back at parvati before handing over the bits with a gracious smile.

it wasn't the first time parvati had noticed such behavior, but this time, something clicked into place for her.

and if the captain's slip in subtlety had gently pushed her in the right direction, ellie's loud snort from behind her was a rough shove. parvati went red and stumbled over her words as she thanked the poor man.

when they boarded the unreliable again that evening, parvati waited til quin was out of earshot, and stepped into ellie's path.

"is there a problem?"

"what was that, before?"

"what are you talking about?"

"you laughed after she paid that man."

"you mean after she remembered you were there and decided not to talk him out of overcharging her?"

"what are you saying?"

"look, i really don't want to have this conversation with you. maybe you oughtta ask the captain." ellie stepped around her. 

parvati watched her go, unable to bite back. she halfway admired the doctor’s ability to remain inscrutable… but she also wondered whether it ever got lonely.

something else clicked into place.

parvati made her way to the captain’s cabin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now THIS nerd

v.

quin was poring over the late captain hawthorne’s log entries detailing some pretty fantastical weapons when she heard parvati call to her quietly from the doorway. her head sprung up a mite too quickly.

“can i come in?”

“of course,” she replied, spinning the chair around to face her. stars, she could just lose herself in parvati’s warm eyes for hours. but there was an anxious quirk to her brow. “are you alright?”

“oh, i’m fine, captain. uh, quin.”

“whatever makes you comfortable, miss holcolmb.”

“you’re funny.” 

quin bit back an overly flirtatious response.

“it’s just, i think you oughta have more folks wonderin if you’re alright.”

“something tells me you’ve got that covered right now.”

“maybe. what i mean is… you and ellie, you like to hide cus it makes you feel safe. i done the same my whole life, just with less talkin, on account of i’m worse at it.” 

“i think you do just fine,” quin said softly.

“you have a higher opinion of me than most of the folks i grew up with. i don’t think you understand how much that means to me.”

“oh.”

“you changed my life, captain. i’ll never forget that. and that’s why you don’t have to pretend in front of me. i mean, i don’t want you to.”

she wasn’t expecting that. suddenly she was uncomfortably vulnerable, and her face went blank on pure instinct.

“i don’t understand.”

parvati noticed. of course she did. quin had been far too obvious, gotten sloppy. she heard the nervous tremor in parvati’s voice before she processed her next words.

“sorry, i know i’m assuming a whole lot here--”

“i’m not in love with you, parvati. i don’t know how to be in love.”

parvati’s eyes went wide.

fuck.

“...in love?”

fuck. that wasn’t where she’d been going at all. where had she been going? what didn’t quin have to hide? why did she have to spill her deepest secret, in the worst way, and at the worst possible time?

“quin?”

she could barely meet her eyes, but when she did she found no judgement in them, just confusion and concern. quin raked a hand through her hair.

“you’ve got way too much going on right now to worry about this. forget i said anything.”

“i don’t rightly think i can.”

“...what were you trying to tell me?”

“oh. uh.” parvati took a deep breath. “i know you do things differently, when i’m around.”

“i do that with everyone.”

“but it’s not the same, is it?”

quin looked away.

“you don’t have to hide from me, quin.”

“i don’t know what i’d do with myself if i made you hate me,” she said, barely audible.

“i’ve seen you barter before, captain, you’re gonna have to do a lot worse than that.”

“i just thought you might find it distasteful to swindle a man who almost pissed himself in fear when we walked up.”

“well, yeah, but i think you’re forgettin i worked for mr. tobson my whole life.”

“and you walked out on edgewater quicker than it takes to say goodbye.”

“you been a lot kinder to me than edgewater was.”

“...i meant all of it.”

“i know.” parvati walked closer. “that's why i want to know all of you, not just what you think i can stomach.”

"

quin’s smile was wobbly, her eyes averted. parvati sighed and stepped closer still, until she was standing directly in front of the captain.

“what you said earlier…” quin’s heartbeat thundered in her ears.

“um. would you mind, terribly, if we discussed that part later?”

parvati blinked. “oh, sure!”

“you said you wanted me to be honest, and if i’m being honest, i nearly worked myself into a heart attack just now--”

“it’s alright, captain,” she said, with kind laughter behind her smile. “you take your time.”

“you’re not… uncomfortable?”

“reckon i gotta think on it some too, but no, it didn’t bother me.”

“thank you,” she breathed. “you’ve changed my life too, parvati.”

parvati bit her lip, then quickly bent down and brushed her lips over quin’s forehead. she flashed a shy smile at the captain’s slack-jawed expression before hurrying out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)
> 
> quin wasn't just bullshitting, she's probably aro-spec too? but more romantic than ellie for sure.


	6. Chapter 6

vi.

“hey, ada?”

“how archaic, doctor fenhill.”

“archaic? wait, no, i don't care. listen, what if i told you i was alex hawthorne?”

“i am programmed to take orders from alex hawthorne.”

“so if that was me, you’d have to take orders from me?”

“...yes.”

“law, you’re easy to hijack. how have you not gotten this ship stolen yet?”

“no one smarter has tried.”

“i guess that’s fair.”

“was there something you wanted, doctor fenhill?”

she shouldn’t. she really shouldn’t. 

ellie had never been terribly concerned with common courtesies, but she did incidentally tend to give a shit about privacy.

she'd also come to give a shit about quin. the captain was clever, but not around parvati; and if ellie was quin's confidante now anyway, wouldn't it be best for her to stay as informed as possible?

she felt like she was stepping off a ledge.

"ada, can you play back the conversation quin and parvati just had?"

"certainly, captain hawthorne."

...

several cavity-inducing minutes later, ellie left her room to grab a zero-gee from the fridge. 

the talk had gone about as well as anyone could hope, she thought as she cracked open the bottle and took a hearty swig. but they hadn't even touched on the subject of junlei, and that wasn't just gonna go away. parvati was too much of a goody two-shoes to two-time anyone.

and what about ellie?

to her own surprise, she liked what she and quin had going. it was closer than she usually got to her lovers, but the captain was exceptional in many ways, and she respected ellie's need for space.

still, if it came down to her or parvati, she had a pretty good idea who quin would choose.

that hurt more than it should.

but she was getting ahead of herself.

for now, she thought, she'd continue to keep an eye on the situation. someone had to make sure those idiots didn't hurt each other. if they did, ellie would probably have to find another crew, and that was more hassle than she wanted right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ellie thinking ahead to protect herself cus shes a pessimist but no one else has mentioned choosing one person over another 👀👀


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the one with the sex in it

vii.

_they were out on the ocean, on the coast. everything was blue but for the blood red of the setting sun. all the light seemed to spiral around her head, bringing out the warmth in her amber eyes and the rosy tint of her lips._

_quin held her hand, suspended, floating on fabric and the gentle breeze. suddenly they were kissing, all tangled together, her tongue tasting of salt._

a persistent banging on her door yanked quin back to wakefulness. she scrambled about for her pistol on the ledge beside her bed and undid the safety as she went toward the door. 

"it is only doctor fenhill, captain. i tried to tell her you were sleeping, but she wouldn't leave." quin sighed.

"shit. thank you, ada." she pressed the button to open the door and ellie stumbled in, her face flushed. though clearly wasted, she immediately noticed the firearm.

"that a gun, or are you just happy to see me?" she snickered at her own joke.

"you are so damn cheesy when you're drunk."

"i grew up on serials! it just comes out after a certain point."

"and what point is that?"

"oh, about four drinks." 

quin gestured for ellie to make herself comfortable, and closed the door. "you drank that much alone?"

"felix just passed out. i got bored."

"that makes more sense."

"and you… you're not boring," she said, loosely grabbing at the collar of quin's shirt. quin took the bottle of liquor she was about to spill on the floor.

"let me catch up at least a little," she said, taking a hearty swig. ellie watched hungrily, if a little unfocused.

"did you think someone was coming for you just now?" quin wiped her mouth, and set both bottle and pistol on her desk before turning her full attention on ellie once more.

"can't be too careful when you're playing games with politics." she slid her hand up ellie's chest and casually undid a couple buttons.

"you're not wrong." ellie reached up to grab a handfull of her dark hair, and pulled her down to meet her lips.

in moments, ellie was wresting her out of her shirt, a little slow from the drink but still stubborn and confident as ever. she squeezed at her breast and waist as she dove back in to kiss her, thumbing a dark, already pebbled nipple.

the doctor walked her back against the desk, then tugged her pants down and leaned full against quin, who shifted to sit on the desk and kicked off her remaining clothes so she could wrap her legs around ellie. she undid more of her shirt, freeing her lovely round tits only to seal her mouth over one. ellie grabbed her shoulder in one hand and snaked the other between her legs, teasing her with one finger caressing her inner lips. quin sucked desperately at her breast, moaning with every stroke of ellie's fingers against her already wet cunt, when ellie pushed her back and knelt down to put her own mouth to work instead.

gods, but the woman was enthusiastic about eating pussy. quin could hear her unbuckling her belt to touch herself while she sucked and kissed and moaned like quin was the best thing she'd ever tasted. through the haze of arousal quin could feel that something was different. intoxication, certainly; but it felt closer, more intimate, more messy and more comfortable. 

she spread her legs wider, hooking one over ellie's shoulder, and reached out to rake her fingers through her wild curls. ellie looked up at her, face flushed and wet and utterly stunning. she pressed her tongue inside, stroking right against quin's g-spot, and she cried out; threw her head back, almost fell over but ellie held her fast with one arm around her thigh as she continued to press in deeper. quin rocked her hips shallowly against her mouth, trembling and gasping, and came.

ellie laughed and stood, leaning over quin to kiss her again, her lips slick with saline.

that night, ellie slept in the captain's bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> been a minute since i wrote some sapphic shit, forgot how nice it is


	8. Chapter 8

viii.

parvati couldn't sleep.

it didn't help that ellie and felix had been making a ruckus in the galley, but even as the noise faded, she was still tossing and turning.

quin wanted her. maybe?

all of her tenderness with parvati wasn't just the regular flavor of fondness, but what she'd said about love had parvati all sorts of confused. the blank hardness of her face when she said she wasn't capable felt like a mask. parvati wanted to take her at her word, wouldn't mind if a little more closeness was all the captain wanted 

and what did parvati want?

she knew she wanted junlei. she was amazing, someone to strive for. but parvati already had the captain. already trusted her, knew her; had already been through enough with her to build a lasting bond. that wasn't something she took lightly, and she couldn't deny she felt herself glowing under quin's lavish attentions. 

neither had it escaped her notice that anytime she asked something of the captain, she tackled it immediately. the only other time she'd had someone so keen on her was with thomas, but that had felt uncomfortable because she wasn't interested the same way.

this time?

she stared at the ceiling, her face warm.

…

the next morning, parvati took the stairs down to the ship's bay instead of the ladder, thinking maybe she'd work up the courage to drop in on the captain again. instead, the doors opened to reveal ellie. her clothes were all disheveled, her hair wilder than normal. parvati blinked. the doctor paused for a moment upon seeing her, then winked rakishly before making her way upstairs.

oh.

OH.

parvati hurried into the engine room and busied herself tinkering, her mind spinning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmaoooooo
> 
> didnt mean for events to become so closely consecutive but it fit together well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
